No reports exist on the preparation of noodles/vermicelli from maize and so there is no prior knowledge available for making maize noodles/vermicelli. However, knowledge for preparing noodles/vermicelli from wheat exists. Many brands of wheat noodles and vermicelli are presently available in the Indian and international market. There are many variations in the household and commercial processes that are practiced for the production of wheat noodles/vermicelli. A very common method is to make dough using wheat flour, extrude it through forming dies and dry the product in a drier, with hot air (about 60.degree. C.) or in the sun till the moisture is reduced to about 12% (wet basis) before packing. (Dick and Matsuo 1988).
Of late, noodles prepared from other cereal grains are also appearing. However, due to lack of `gluten` in cereals other than wheat, it is difficult to make noodles/vermicelli type of products similar to those prepared from wheat, based on the process used for wheat. Rice noodles are a household product of antiquity in China, Japan, India and other Asian countries which are prepared just before consumption. [K.K. Shimiadaya Honten. Japanese Examined Patent No. 5704220 (5704220), 1982; T. Miyatake. Japanese--Examined Patent No. 5617059 (5617059), 1981; G. Buehler A. G. West-German Patent Application No. 1301237 (1301237)]. Commercial rice noodles have appeared only recently in India. For preparing these noodles the common process is to gelatinize the flour partially or mix a fully gelatinized flour with raw flour, make dough, boil in water and extrude through appropriate dies, steam and dry. (C. M. Sowbhagya, Dr. S. Z. Ali. Patent Application No. 688/DEL/96, filed).
It has not been possible to make noodles from maize, based on the processes hitherto known as applied for wheat or rice. Firstly because it does not contain the gluten, which is the vital protein in wheat, which hydrates, swells and forms dough of elastic nature (Moss, et al 1987). Secondly, the dough prepared from maize flour with cold water, lacks cohesiveness and elasticity and does not yield noodles/vermicelli that cook well and retain their textural properties. Thirdly, the dough prepared from partially or fully gelatinized flours from maize, as prepared in the case of rice noodles, yields a good looking product, but the noodles/vermicelli disintegrate on cooking, into a paste. It is therefore not possible with the known methods to prepare noodles/vermicelli from maize.